Family, friends, students young and old dedicate track to Richard Bokor's memory

Members of Richard Bokor's family and many of his closest friends and colleagues gathered Tuesday afternoon with dozens of the District 15 students who benefitted from his service to dedicate the track at Winston Campus Junior High in his memory.

Mr. Bokor served for nearly six years on the District 15 Board Education, and was serving as its Vice President at the time of his passing in January. While serving on the Board, he emerged as the driving force behind the 2012 installation of the track after noticing Winston Campus was the only District 15 junior high without one.

"That was Rich through and through. He always wanted kids to have opportunities," Scott Thompson, Ed.D., District 15's superintendent of schools, told the Winston Campus track team, which attended the dedication ceremony just before competing in a meet on the track.

Mr. Bokor's advocacy for this project was but one of many reasons District 15 dedicated the space in his memory. The District chose to name it "Richard Bokor Field and Track" in recognition of the entirety of his service to the District 15 Board of Education, and in gratitude for the far-reaching influence he had on public education in this community.

The Seeds of Change® brand, leading producer of certified organic food and seed offerings, has awarded Central Road School a $20,000 grant that will help bring the school's vision for its new garden to fruition.

"Earlier this spring, I encouraged the Central Road community to imagine a school garden that students and teachers can be proud of, not only because it beautifies our neighborhood, but because it offers a hands-on learning experience for students," said Jenny Garcia-Macko, Central Road's principal. "I said that with your support, we could make that vision a reality."

"Today," continued Mrs. Garcia-Macko, "I am thrilled to announce that your incredible support for this project has not only allowed our garden to take root, but has also earned Central Road a $20,000 'Seeds of Change' grant that I believe will allow this effort to grow and thrive for generations."

Grow your garden, and grow a brighter future at the District Fifteen Educational Foundation's upcoming True Value plant sale fundraiser.

On Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, the Palatine True Value located at 790 W. Euclid Avenue and the Arlington Heights True Value located at 1215 E. Rand Road will donate $2 of every $11 full flat of flowers you purchase to your school. Just tell the cashier you would like to support the District Fifteen Educational Foundation, and specify which school you want your purchase to benefit, and True Value will donate $2 per flat to the school of your choice through the District Fifteen Educational Foundation.

For more information, visit www.ccsd15.net | Foundation, or contact Donna Kennedy, Foundation coordinator, at 847-963-3160 or kennedy@ccsd15.net.

Hunting Ridge wins 2015 Battle of the Books 

On Saturday, April 25, teams from five District 15 elementary schools gathered at Marion Jordan School to compete in the Fifth Annual District 15 Battle of the Books' final round. At the end of the day, Hunting Ridge School emerged from that competition victorious.

Members of Hunting Ridge's Battle of the Books team, the Book Thieves, are sixth graders Gowri C. and Katherine P., fifth graders Ola K., Mansha K., and Rachel M., fourth graders Adelind H. and Sophia Z., and third grader Ella K. Hunting Ridge teachers Deb Oltman and Sonia Nilsen coached the team.

Overall, 356 third- through sixth-grade students from five schools -- Winston Campus Elementary and Central Road, Pleasant Hill, Hunting Ridge, and Marion Jordan Schools -- participated in the program.

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Infinitec presents Kimball Hill sixth grader
with Technology Achievement Award

Infinitec North, the assistive technology program of United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago, presented Jacob Harzke, a sixth grader at Kimball Hill School, with its 2015 Technology Achievement Award during its annual awards banquet held Thursday, April 30, at The Cotillion in Palatine.

Jacob was nominated for this award by Cherie Laufenberg, his assistive technology facilitator; and Lisa Carmody, his teacher.

Diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Jacob uses an iPad to create writing through dictation, and he shares it independently with his teachers through Google Drive. This process has enabled him to communicate his thoughts and knowledge more fluently than he could through handwriting or keyboarding. He has become skilled at converting his ideas from speech to text, and he has mastered the steps to share his work with others. Using his iPad, Jacob has also overcome difficulties with reading and writing, as the device's text-to-speech capabilities allow him to access text and higher comprehension levels.

Aside from his academic endeavors, Jacob is a member of the Respectables team at Kimball Hill. As part of this group of young leaders, Jacob volunteers his time and contributes his ideas to make his school a better place. For instance, he shares his story with other students to encourages them to be sensitive to him and others who have challenges due to health conditions.

"We are so proud of his determination and his accomplishments," said Mrs. Carmody.

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Twelve junior high students from District 15 presented a total of 10 projects at the Illinois Junior Academy of Science's (IJAS) 2015 State Science Exposition, which was held May 1-2 at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Those students brought home six Gold Awards, three Silver Awards, and one Bronze Award.

District 15's 2015 IJAS State Science Expo award winners are as follows:

Gold Awards

• Arnav A. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Does the Angle of Sunlight Affect the Output of a Solar Cell?
• Julie H. and Swathy K. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- The Effect of Graywater on Plant Growth
• Varun K. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Combination of Solar and Wind Energy
• Shreya M. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Goo Be Gone
• Shreyah P. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- The Effect of pH on E. Coli Bacterial Growth (She was also recognized with "Overall Excellence" and "Best in Category -- Microbiology" honors at the IJAS Region 6 Science and Engineering Fair.)
• Rebecca W. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- The Golden Ratio

Silver Awards

• Leah B. and Jenna P. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- The Thrill of the Ride!
• Steffi C. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- What's the Hype?
• Jessica D. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- Growing Gummy Bears

Bronze Award

• Nithika K. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Acidity Levels in Different Sodas

IJAS Region 6 Science and Engineering Fair

Students qualified for the IJAS State Science Exposition after participating in the IJAS Region 6 Science and Engineering Fair, held Saturday, March 7, at Niles North High School. At the regional fair, Plum Grove Junior High took first place and Winston Campus Junior High took third place among schools their size.

Additional students who participated in the IJAS Region 6 Science and Engineering Fair, and their awards and projects are as follows:

Gold Awards*

• Ananya C -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Do Video Games Help you Score Better in School?
• Haley H. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- Does Pop Music Have an Effect on Math Test Results?
• Kate L. and Aleena Q. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- A Dog's Vision (These students also qualified to participate at the IJAS State Science Exposition, but were unable to attend.)
• Shalin M. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- The Effect of Salt Water on Toy Cars
• Sriya N. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Does eye color affect a person's ability to identify colors in low light?
• Eileen P. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- What Liquid has the Best Effect on Plants?
• Julian R. -- Winston Campus -- Do Eyes Defy? (He was also recognized with "Best Middle School Project" honors by the U.S. Navy.)

Silver Awards

• Sidharth A. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Antibacterial Agents Test
• Samruddhi A. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- How does Borax Concentration Affect Water Softness?
• Muskan B. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Is the Rate of Photosynthesis Affected by the Color of Light?
• Dominique D. and Katherine O. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- Font For You!
• Kathryn D. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- Salt Water Electricity
• Natalia I. and Abigail P. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- Dissolving Peeps!
• Brandon L. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- What Makes Ice Melt Faster?
• Nataly P. and Abbie S. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- Orange Juice Uncertainties!
• Amanda R. and Sean R. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Which Sunscreen Product Blocks Ultraviolet Radiation the Most Effectively?

Bronze Awards

• Andrew F. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- Do Opposites Attract?
• Sanjara G. -- Plum Grove Junior High -- Black and White vs. Color
• John H. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principal!
• Jasmine J. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- Plop Plop ... Fizz!
• Timothy R. -- Winston Campus Junior High -- The Push On Door

*Some students names have been withheld due to requests for privacy.